Monthly Recap – October

Number of Cigars Smoked: 25

Of those smoked:

• Purchased: 15 or 60%
• Gifted: 3 or 12%
• Samples Provided: 7 or 28%

Of those purchased:

• Brick & Mortar: 1 or 7%
• Online: 14 or 93%

Most Memorable Cigars Smoked

#1. Quesada 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica – Tony reviewed the Quesada 40th Anniversary back in September. You can find his full review HERE. Unlike Tony, I had no problem removing the tissue paper, and I am convinced it was more of a user error on Tony’s part than anything else But I am not here to critique the cigar necessarily. Last month, my dog that I had since I was in 8th grade was put to rest at the age of 16. I was not there to say my goodbye as he was in El Paso with my parents. However, that evening I lit up the Quesada 40th and reflected on the great memories I had with him including taking him snowboarding in the Upper Peninsula, falling through ice while ice fishing, and several others. He was one stubborn, loving dog that I will miss.

#2. Cain F Lancero – Easily one of my favorite offerings from Oliva. The Cain F Lancero is a solid cigar that I could smoke any day of the week. I have to keep them hidden at the bottom of the humi to not smoke them all at once. I picked up a box of these bad boys in the Summer of 2013, allowing myself one every few months.  With only 4 or 5 remaining, it is time to order up another box. My opinion of this cigar has not changed since I reviewed it back in June 2013, when I had this to say (find the full review HERE):

I am just going to say it. I freakin love this cigar! While it has been well over a year since I smoked the 2011 release, I felt that this release offered bolder flavors and more complexity. While ugly in appearance, the construction and burn were excellent. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I lean towards cigars that deliver some sweetness and the Cain F Lancero it right up my alley.  I adore the Lancero format and it is just unheard of to find a lancero in the $6.00 range…

Cigar Reviews

La Gloria Cubana Domino 758, a Mike’s Cigars Exclusive

Beginning with a mild profile, the cigar developed to medium in the middle third and ended on a high note with medium/full, rich flavors. Only once did I have to correct the burn in over two hours of smoking. So a 10 second annoyance out of 7200 seconds of smoking is really no issue at all.

Espinosa Cigars – La Zona Habano

For a cigar that can be found for under $4 on most days and around $2 on good days, La Zona Habano by Espinosa Cigars is a good stick that delivers without breaking the bank.

Exactus – Puro Ambar Short Coloso

The flavors delivered in the first and second thirds, but tapered off in the final third, which I will blame on the void in tobaccos near the head. I am pleased to report that the issue did not occur in the other sample. When I think of the lines I have smoked under the Exactus brand, I can honestly say that the Puro Ambar is a step above the other lines.

Romeo Y Julieta Primer Lote 770, a Mike’s Cigars Exclusive

Beginning with the Romeo Y Julieta RyJ in 2013, followed by The Banker by H. Upmann a few months ago, and now the Romeo y Julieta Primer Lote 770, my perception of Altadis U.S.A. is changing. The Primer Lote 770 delivered a good performance with medium flavors. But what  made this Mike’s Cigars exclusive unique was the distinct flavor profiles in each third. For a price under $8, this cigar falls right into the sweet-spot.

Tony’s Reviews

Padron- Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro

…the Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro is an exceptional cigar delivering most notably in the flavor department. As any of you who are familiar with the Family Reserve releases would expect, the flavors were quite complex, yet very smooth and balanced. Not to mention they are ideal for beer pairing especially with the early winter seasonal releases.

Asylum 13 Ogre

As with most Asylum cigars I have smoke, the Ogre is a solid stick. That being said, there wasn’t anything outside of the strength which really stood out to me. I did like the flavors, and the changeups, but I would probably reach for the standard Asylum 13 over the Ogre.

Matilde Renacer Corona

This is a little cigar with a whole lot of personality. The flavor profile is pretty different, but a breath a fresh air showcasing some great floral and sweetness combined with some nice spice, and natural flavors which all developed at the right moments to keep my on my toes. Matilde’s Renacer is one of the better Dominican-rich cigars that I have smoked in a long time

Guest Reviews by Jeff Oda

L’Atelier Imports – L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER 13

A tasty and relaxing medium-full bodied smoke with low-medium strength – hell yes!  I have really enjoyed the several L’Atelier Extension de la Racines that I have smoked, with flavors that are certainly not run of the mill providing a good amount of complexity without pounding you over the head with them.  Construction was pretty much spot-on, with just one small correction required and no re-lights.  The price is entirely in line with a cigar of this quality, and even more so with the limited availability. .

Nomad C-276 Torpedo

The Nomad C-276 is a great cigar, especially for those who are into the fuller bodied and stronger smokes. The flavors are distinct and complex, and the construction is solid. Although I did eventually have to correct the burn a few times, it was not an aggravation, and did not affect the flavors. Fred did an outstanding job in blending this stick, and the inclusion of the Ometepe leaf takes it a step beyond the S-307 that I had previously enjoyed, in terms of additional flavors and balanced complexity

The post Monthly Recap – October 2014 – Jeremy Hensley Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Asylum 13 is another offering created by the masterful hands of Christian Eiroa. While that name is usually related to Honduran tobacco, the Asylum 13 blends are actually Nicaraguan based. While the filler and the binder tobaccos are a close-kept secret, we do know that they are of Nicaraguan origin, and the barber-poled wrapper carries a brilliant green Candela alongside a deep, dark Habano Maduro with a Habano Maduro cap, and a strip of Candela lining the foot. The Ogre comes in 4 different sizes, the 550 Robusto (5 x 50), the 660 Gordo (6 x 60), the 680 Gordo (6 x 80), and the 770 Gordo (7 x 70). The Ogre 550 and 660 come packaged in cabinets of 50, while the 680 and 770 come in boxes of 30. The Asylum 13 Ogre will run you $6.30 to $10.20 a sick. I purchased a handful of these over at Cigars International and they still have quite a few left in stock. You can also check out a recent review that Jeremy posted of the Asylum 13 99 Problems Lancero here.

Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Candela/Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Full
Price: $6.30
Pairing: Odell Brewing Company Jaunt (American Pale Ale 7.60% ABV)

Prelight:

The obvious stand-out characteristic in the Asylum 13 Ogre is the wrapper. This is a barber pole style cigar meaning two wrappers of different shades/tobaccos are laid over each other seamlessly rotating to create a barber pole style effect. While this is pretty, it can also add some interesting flavor combinations to the experience. The green Candela wrapper used in the Ogre is very smooth, very silky, and very oily. It feels a bit delicate and is very thin to the tough. On the opposite end of the spectrum the Habano Maduro wrapper is incredibly dark brown, very toothy, very rough, and very dense. These are polar opposites in terms of wrapper leaf. The Ogre is finishing off with a round double cap using the Habano Maduro wrapper, along with a thin strip of Candela which is wrapped around the foot of the cigar. The Ogre carries the standard Asylum 13 band with a black, white, and red decoration covered in skulls.

The wrapper on the Asylum 13 Ogre gives off a whole ton of spice and pepper aromas while the foot of the cigar showcases some more natural tobacco and sweetness. The cap cut very clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces a whole mess of black pepper, so much that it started making my lips tingle and I haven’t even lit the cigar up yet. Underneath the pepper is a bit of chocolate and lots of spice.

First Smoke:

Wow, this baby starts off with so much pepper. I seriously wouldn’t expect that much of a greeting from a cigar with Candela wrapped around it. The Asylum 13 Ogre is off to the races. It took a while, but the pepper finally began to fade about halfway through the first third. The backing flavors in the Ogre are that of dark chocolate, grassiness, tobacco, spice, and a bit of a citrus zest. The draw started it bit loose, but tightened up once it got going and now it’s perfect. Each little puff produced a massive cloud of thick, white smoke. The Burnline is razor sharp, but a bit wavy in some areas. The ash left behind is very nicely compact and white with light grey in color. The ash held on for about an inch before giving way. Even as I barely close out the first third of this cigar I can feel the nicotine starting to creep in.

Halfway There:

Into the second third of the Asylum 13 Ogre the flavors have become much deeper. The pepper is all but gone, and there is some great oakiness leading the flavor charge now. The backing flavors are some soft sweetness, spice, grassiness, and that interesting citrus zest. The spice and the pepper are still very evident in the retrohale making it tough to do very often. The burnline has corrected itself on and off but the cigar still burns a bit wildly at times. As long as it doesn’t require a whole lot of attention from my lighter we’ll be alright. I am feeling more and more nicotine as I continue smoking through this beast.

Finish:

A bit of the pepper has began to creep back into the Asylum 13 Ogre. Along with the pepper the spice has also really ramped up and it’s not backed by the once dominant cedar, sweetness, chocolate, and citrus. I’m impressed that the citrus is still hanging in there. Along with the ramp up in certain flavors, the strength has really taken off in the final third raising this cigar to the full-strength category. The nicotine is really starting to hit. I remember smoking the 770 and having the nicotine hit hard in the second third. While I like full-strength cigars, I’m happy with what the smaller ring gauge has to offer. The burnline was still a bit wavy, but the Ogre worked through it and I never once had to reach for my lighter. The Ogre took me about an hour and a half to take down. I experience no harshness, but the final strength was enough to leave me a little woozy.

Overview:

As with most Asylum cigars I have smoke, the Ogre is a solid stick. That being said, there wasn’t anything outside of the strength which really stood out to me. I did like the flavors, and the changeups, but I would probably reach for the standard Asylum 13 over the Ogre. This is a great cigar to have around in terms of presentation, and body/strength and the price point makes if very easy to keep a few of these on hand.

Pairing:

Jaunt is an interesting beer. I know you’ve seen a lot of Odell coming through on these reviews lately, but I’ve been on a Odell Brewing kick. Especially now that they are available in Texas. I used to have to drive across town to New Mexico to find them. Anywho, Jaunt is an American Pale Ale Brewed at the Odell Brewery in Colorado. The Beer is brewed with Riesling grape juice and aged on Oak Staves adding some interesting characteristics to the ale. First, the grape juice is very evident as it’s the first thing you taste when you lips meet the glass. Its sweet, yet tart and transitions great into some grapefruit, sweetness, and a bit of hoppiness. The mouthfeel is very light as Jaunt finishes with some sweet oakiness, and a lot of citrus. This is a great, light, summer/fall beer. It’s refreshing and the citrus and oak paired up so well with the flavors in the Ogre. The Ogre was a bit much for this beer, but it held its own. I’d probably recommend going with a spiced stout, bourbon, or even a badass hot chocolate.

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